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It Should Have Been You
A suburban neighbourhood starts to spiral when one text message causes a nasty chain reaction with horrifying consequences.
You press send and your message disappears. Full of secrets about your neighbours, it’s meant for your sister. But it doesn’t reach her—it goes to the entire local community WhatsApp group instead.
As rumor spreads like wildfire through the picture-perfect neighbourhood, you convince yourself that people will move on, that this will quickly be forgotten. But then you receive the first death threat.
The next day, a woman has been murdered. And what’s even more chilling is that she had the same address as you—26 Oakpark—but in a different part of town. Did the killer get the wrong house? It won’t be long before you find out…
You press send and your message disappears. Full of secrets about your neighbours, it’s meant for your sister. But it doesn’t reach her—it goes to the entire local community WhatsApp group instead.
As rumor spreads like wildfire through the picture-perfect neighbourhood, you convince yourself that people will move on, that this will quickly be forgotten. But then you receive the first death threat.
The next day, a woman has been murdered. And what’s even more chilling is that she had the same address as you—26 Oakpark—but in a different part of town. Did the killer get the wrong house? It won’t be long before you find out…
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 13, 2026
1530 people are currently reading
38815 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,120 reviews
May 15, 2025
Can’t even hold it in until my weekly wrap up! This book blew my socks off. Phenomenal! So multilayered, twisty, cliffhangers on every chapter kept me LOCKED IN. Unputdownable, diabolical, dark, entertaining, and such a wild ride. WOW!
Available at Blackwells with free shipping to US (where I got my copy): https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/pro...
Not out in the US until Jan 13 2026
Video review: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTj5kpeKu/
Available at Blackwells with free shipping to US (where I got my copy): https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/pro...
Not out in the US until Jan 13 2026
Video review: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTj5kpeKu/
April 10, 2025
I love Andrea Mara’s books and It Should Have Been You might be her best one yet! What a twisty little thriller! I was totally invested in this story and has no idea how it was going to end. Yes I stayed up way too late to finish it but I am not at all sorry that I did. So much fun to read.
Susan O’Donnell is a new mum and severally sleep deprived. She makes an error that could end up being g fatal. In response to a WhatsApp message on her local community group that is clearly aimed at her, she lets rip. Only she meant to send it to her sisters, it accidentally sends it to the whole neighbourhood. Oops! oh well,… people think she is rude, they will get over it. But then people who are connected to her and that message are murdered…but was it meant to be her?
That is all you need to know. There are quite a few characters to get your head around but I had no problems with keeping them straight. There are some truly awful people in this neighbourhood. It was very cleverly written and I loved the ending so much, putting all the pieces together nicely.
Just amazing! you have to read it.
Thanks so much to Transworld Publishing/ Bantam on NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on May 8th.
Susan O’Donnell is a new mum and severally sleep deprived. She makes an error that could end up being g fatal. In response to a WhatsApp message on her local community group that is clearly aimed at her, she lets rip. Only she meant to send it to her sisters, it accidentally sends it to the whole neighbourhood. Oops! oh well,… people think she is rude, they will get over it. But then people who are connected to her and that message are murdered…but was it meant to be her?
That is all you need to know. There are quite a few characters to get your head around but I had no problems with keeping them straight. There are some truly awful people in this neighbourhood. It was very cleverly written and I loved the ending so much, putting all the pieces together nicely.
Just amazing! you have to read it.
Thanks so much to Transworld Publishing/ Bantam on NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes on May 8th.
June 11, 2025
I must say that the people living in this novel weren’t very nice. I kept thinking about Nova Glass and her ability to create communities where people look out for each other, and how much I liked that. This felt just poisonous and it made the whole experience unpleasant
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
How far can one wrong message go?
In "It Should Have Been You", suburban life unravels spectacularly after one impulsive text goes very, very wrong. When Susan accidentally sends a private message full of gossip about her neighbors to the entire local WhatsApp group instead of her sisters, her quiet, orderly world explodes. What begins as a mortifying mistake turns sinister when she receives a death threat - and then a woman with Susan's same address, across town, is found murdered. Suddenly, Susan realizes that someone might have mistaken her for the intended victim.
Told through multiple perspectives - mostly Susan's, but also the murder victim Savannah, bartender Venetia, Susan's husband Jon and her niece Maeve, and their neighbors Celeste and Nika - Andrea Mara's latest thriller races forward in short, punchy chapters that make it almost impossible to put down. The shifting viewpoints keep the tension high and the intrigue constant.
Sure, the chain of events requires a healthy suspension of disbelief - this is suburban mayhem at its most dramatic - but it's also gripping, clever, and unnervingly plausible in its initial premise. The novel taps into the modern anxiety of being too connected, examining how a single digital misstep can spin out of control in a world where everyone's personal details are only a few clicks away.
Fast-paced, entertaining, and packed with secrets, "It Should Have Been You" is a deliciously bingeable thriller - and a reminder that one accidental message can turn your life upside down. Definitely a lesson in double-checking your recipients.
Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin | Pamela Dorman Books for providing me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
The U.S. edition of "It Should Have Been You" is slated to be released on January 13, 2026.
In "It Should Have Been You", suburban life unravels spectacularly after one impulsive text goes very, very wrong. When Susan accidentally sends a private message full of gossip about her neighbors to the entire local WhatsApp group instead of her sisters, her quiet, orderly world explodes. What begins as a mortifying mistake turns sinister when she receives a death threat - and then a woman with Susan's same address, across town, is found murdered. Suddenly, Susan realizes that someone might have mistaken her for the intended victim.
Told through multiple perspectives - mostly Susan's, but also the murder victim Savannah, bartender Venetia, Susan's husband Jon and her niece Maeve, and their neighbors Celeste and Nika - Andrea Mara's latest thriller races forward in short, punchy chapters that make it almost impossible to put down. The shifting viewpoints keep the tension high and the intrigue constant.
Sure, the chain of events requires a healthy suspension of disbelief - this is suburban mayhem at its most dramatic - but it's also gripping, clever, and unnervingly plausible in its initial premise. The novel taps into the modern anxiety of being too connected, examining how a single digital misstep can spin out of control in a world where everyone's personal details are only a few clicks away.
Fast-paced, entertaining, and packed with secrets, "It Should Have Been You" is a deliciously bingeable thriller - and a reminder that one accidental message can turn your life upside down. Definitely a lesson in double-checking your recipients.
Many thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin | Pamela Dorman Books for providing me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
The U.S. edition of "It Should Have Been You" is slated to be released on January 13, 2026.
December 21, 2025
A tense, fast-paced thriller with plenty of twists. Andrea Mara does a great job blending domestic drama with suspense, and the characters feel believable in their fear and confusion. A couple of twists felt a bit dramatic, but overall it was gripping and hard to put down. A solid, satisfying read for fans of psychological thrillers.
January 13, 2026
HAPPY PUB DAY
Man-oh-man…… let me tell you that Andrea Mara knows how to hook the reader! Now I know why Peacock picked up her other upcoming novel, All Her Fault. This story was unputdownable.
Picture this, a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone’s dirty laundry. Their children attend the same schools and the parents are oblivious to their personal lives. However, everyone is hiding something. How far would they go to keep them hidden?
It all started with a message. A message meant for Susan’s sisters. Unfortunately for Susan, she accidentally sends it to the neighborhood WhatsApp group. It’s all downhill from there.
Mara masterfully weaves a character study into the lengths people are willing to go to hide their secrets and seek the revenge they deserve. I loved the novel and highly recommended you pre-order your copy and add it to your TBR!
4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date - 1/13/26
Thank you to Viking and Andrea Mara for my gorgeous gifted copy
Man-oh-man…… let me tell you that Andrea Mara knows how to hook the reader! Now I know why Peacock picked up her other upcoming novel, All Her Fault. This story was unputdownable.
Picture this, a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone’s dirty laundry. Their children attend the same schools and the parents are oblivious to their personal lives. However, everyone is hiding something. How far would they go to keep them hidden?
It all started with a message. A message meant for Susan’s sisters. Unfortunately for Susan, she accidentally sends it to the neighborhood WhatsApp group. It’s all downhill from there.
Mara masterfully weaves a character study into the lengths people are willing to go to hide their secrets and seek the revenge they deserve. I loved the novel and highly recommended you pre-order your copy and add it to your TBR!
4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date - 1/13/26
Thank you to Viking and Andrea Mara for my gorgeous gifted copy
Want to read
April 28, 2025Nahhhhh excuse me!!!!
Run me this book expeditiously!!!
I want all the drama and thrills!!!!
🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨
Run me this book expeditiously!!!
I want all the drama and thrills!!!!
🫨🫨🫨🫨🫨
May 12, 2025
2.5 rounded down.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book. These are my honest thoughts.
A multi perspective book that starts with a text that should have never been sent. That text leads to murder. I was all in, but this book unfortunately severely missed the mark for me.
Why didn't it get five stars from me?
The writing felt a bit immature. I felt like I was having a casual conversation with a friend, except I couldn't care less about the conversation.
I had a really difficult time connecting to any of the characters in this book. I didn't care about any of them and I found our main character to be extremely whiney! She doesn't think anything through and chronically makes mistake after mistake. There was no redeeming quality about her. She literally can't even do the grocery shopping.
There were some sentences that I just thought were so ridiculous. Ex: "He was a grocery ninja." Like, what???
I struggle when books put in really specific references to current fads/trends. I feel like it dates the book and is unnecessary. Referencing "X", Snapchat, Facebook, and Colleen Hoover's Verity made it all feel a bit dated. If you're not familiar with the hype of Verity, that reference doesn't mean anything to you.
I found a few points in the book to be improbable but I found the ending to be especially unbelievable. The covid references drove me up the wall.
One of my personal pet peeves is when an author repeats the same phrase in the book and "stops her cold" was said like 5 times in one chapter. It feels like it lacks any inspiration or effort to think of a different phrase/synonym/metaphor.
This just wasn't the book for me.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book. These are my honest thoughts.
A multi perspective book that starts with a text that should have never been sent. That text leads to murder. I was all in, but this book unfortunately severely missed the mark for me.
Why didn't it get five stars from me?
The writing felt a bit immature. I felt like I was having a casual conversation with a friend, except I couldn't care less about the conversation.
I had a really difficult time connecting to any of the characters in this book. I didn't care about any of them and I found our main character to be extremely whiney! She doesn't think anything through and chronically makes mistake after mistake. There was no redeeming quality about her. She literally can't even do the grocery shopping.
There were some sentences that I just thought were so ridiculous. Ex: "He was a grocery ninja." Like, what???
I struggle when books put in really specific references to current fads/trends. I feel like it dates the book and is unnecessary. Referencing "X", Snapchat, Facebook, and Colleen Hoover's Verity made it all feel a bit dated. If you're not familiar with the hype of Verity, that reference doesn't mean anything to you.
I found a few points in the book to be improbable but I found the ending to be especially unbelievable. The covid references drove me up the wall.
One of my personal pet peeves is when an author repeats the same phrase in the book and "stops her cold" was said like 5 times in one chapter. It feels like it lacks any inspiration or effort to think of a different phrase/synonym/metaphor.
This just wasn't the book for me.
April 20, 2025
4.5
Another excellent high-speed thriller from Andrea Mara.
Susan O'Donnell is just an average woman, married with a new baby to take up all her energy so when she mistakenly sends a message meant for her sisters to an entire group of neighbours she has no idea how bad the consequences are going to get.
Her mistake will impact her whole family, her neighbours and even total strangers. Who would think a text could cause such mayhem? Certainly not Susan who soon realises that her husband and family might not be the people she thought they were because once the text is out there it brings on a deadly chain reaction that will devastate many lives.
Andrea Mara has managed, yet again, to produce a thriller that gives you absolute no chance to catch your breath. It is immensely readable and I whizzed through it in two sittings.
My one niggle is that the end is somewhat farfetched. And it is a minor niggle in what is an otherwise excellent thriller.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and Transworld for the advance review copy. Very much appreciated.
Another excellent high-speed thriller from Andrea Mara.
Susan O'Donnell is just an average woman, married with a new baby to take up all her energy so when she mistakenly sends a message meant for her sisters to an entire group of neighbours she has no idea how bad the consequences are going to get.
Her mistake will impact her whole family, her neighbours and even total strangers. Who would think a text could cause such mayhem? Certainly not Susan who soon realises that her husband and family might not be the people she thought they were because once the text is out there it brings on a deadly chain reaction that will devastate many lives.
Andrea Mara has managed, yet again, to produce a thriller that gives you absolute no chance to catch your breath. It is immensely readable and I whizzed through it in two sittings.
My one niggle is that the end is somewhat farfetched. And it is a minor niggle in what is an otherwise excellent thriller.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and Transworld for the advance review copy. Very much appreciated.
June 16, 2025
2.5 stars
Over the top and ridiculous.
Over the top and ridiculous.
Read
August 22, 2025This was very entertaining for me listening to to this book, the narrator made each character stand out and built on them as they read, which really helped the reader.
I thought the author did a brilliant job with the twists and the unexpected turns within building the plots to draw the readers interest and keep the reader turning pages. First book ( I think I’ve read of hers I’ll need to check ) so now I’m interested in her back books.
I thought the author did a brilliant job with the twists and the unexpected turns within building the plots to draw the readers interest and keep the reader turning pages. First book ( I think I’ve read of hers I’ll need to check ) so now I’m interested in her back books.
January 13, 2026
"Have you ever done something stupid - something unintentional, acting without thinking? You have, I'm sure; we all have."
This year, I dropped my reading challenge expectations because I will have less spare time than I did last year. I thought it would be better to select what I want to read before immersing myself in whatever book I choose. I came across the plot of this new book by Andrea Mara, and I thought, "OK, it sounds like another thriller I've read in recent years, so why not?" Yes, I know I said I would select better books, but who can resist a plot where a chaotic WhatsApp conversation becomes the turning point of a macabre murder? NO ONE. So, I started reading it in the last days of 2025, but I truly immersed myself in it last week. And between yesterday and today (I finished at work, so don’t tell anyone), I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara is a suspenseful thriller about a sleep-deprived new mother, Susan, who accidentally sends a gossipy text about her neighbor to the entire neighborhood WhatsApp group instead of just her sisters. This sets off a catastrophic chain reaction that includes threats, ostracization, and ultimately, murder, forcing her to confront the shocking reality of a killer targeting her home, but getting the wrong house, and questioning who she can trust in her seemingly perfect community.
Guys, this is the best way to jump into reading in the new year! The plot is full of twists and is sometimes almost overwhelming. Believe me, you can't put this book down until the end. The story is so well written, all the characters are so suspicious, the pace is relentless, and the atmosphere is so tense that by the end, I felt like I was having a heart attack, seriously.
If you want a page-turner with a narrative structure that has almost no holes and a strong ending, I highly recommend this magnificent book!!
This year, I dropped my reading challenge expectations because I will have less spare time than I did last year. I thought it would be better to select what I want to read before immersing myself in whatever book I choose. I came across the plot of this new book by Andrea Mara, and I thought, "OK, it sounds like another thriller I've read in recent years, so why not?" Yes, I know I said I would select better books, but who can resist a plot where a chaotic WhatsApp conversation becomes the turning point of a macabre murder? NO ONE. So, I started reading it in the last days of 2025, but I truly immersed myself in it last week. And between yesterday and today (I finished at work, so don’t tell anyone), I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara is a suspenseful thriller about a sleep-deprived new mother, Susan, who accidentally sends a gossipy text about her neighbor to the entire neighborhood WhatsApp group instead of just her sisters. This sets off a catastrophic chain reaction that includes threats, ostracization, and ultimately, murder, forcing her to confront the shocking reality of a killer targeting her home, but getting the wrong house, and questioning who she can trust in her seemingly perfect community.
Guys, this is the best way to jump into reading in the new year! The plot is full of twists and is sometimes almost overwhelming. Believe me, you can't put this book down until the end. The story is so well written, all the characters are so suspicious, the pace is relentless, and the atmosphere is so tense that by the end, I felt like I was having a heart attack, seriously.
If you want a page-turner with a narrative structure that has almost no holes and a strong ending, I highly recommend this magnificent book!!
August 28, 2025
This book begins with a snarky, gossipy message Susan, a new mom, means to send to her sisters but accidentally posts in the neighborhood WhatsApp group and ends with 2 divorces, 3 people seriously injured, and 4 murders.
The inbetween is rife with infidelities, bad decisions, cyber crime, lies, and secrets.
It's completely batshit, and I loved every minute of it.
By my count, eight characters narrate the story, which is set in a dual timeline - the week before and after the posting of the message, that at first glance seems fairy innocuous but sets off a chain of events that rock a quaint, quiet South Dublin neighborhood.
I love multiple POVs, and each character's voice was distinct, so this never proved confusing.
Scene 1, Act 1: Susan injects one of her beloved sisters with a syringe, and her sister collapses to the floor.
Talk about an attention grabber!
Besides one heinous, irredeemable character (I'm looking at you, Venetia), the rest are rendered in shades of gray.
All Her Fault is still my favorite by this author, but It Should Have Been You is a worthy contender.
The inbetween is rife with infidelities, bad decisions, cyber crime, lies, and secrets.
It's completely batshit, and I loved every minute of it.
By my count, eight characters narrate the story, which is set in a dual timeline - the week before and after the posting of the message, that at first glance seems fairy innocuous but sets off a chain of events that rock a quaint, quiet South Dublin neighborhood.
I love multiple POVs, and each character's voice was distinct, so this never proved confusing.
Scene 1, Act 1: Susan injects one of her beloved sisters with a syringe, and her sister collapses to the floor.
Talk about an attention grabber!
Besides one heinous, irredeemable character (I'm looking at you, Venetia), the rest are rendered in shades of gray.
All Her Fault is still my favorite by this author, but It Should Have Been You is a worthy contender.
August 27, 2025
The suburbs can be murder!
You know what this book needs? One of those opening pages with a family tree with all the characters names. There are a lot of characters. Lovers. Kids. Sisters. Best friends. Easy to mix them up or say “wait who was this again”?
That said, this was a fun popcorn thriller. I enjoyed it. Short chapters and not a lot of character development. It was surprising and multiple “mysteries” being solved at a time. It starts with Susan sending a bitchy text to her entire subdivisions group chat instead of just her sisters. Yikes. This happens right at the beginning. It’s the kind of thing that you can easily see yourself doing.
Ooh, cringe.
But! It sets of a series of events that led to multiple dead bodies!
Fans of Caitlin Weaver and Shari LaPena, this one is for you!
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/ Pamela Dorman books for the ARC. Book to be published January 16, 2026.
You know what this book needs? One of those opening pages with a family tree with all the characters names. There are a lot of characters. Lovers. Kids. Sisters. Best friends. Easy to mix them up or say “wait who was this again”?
That said, this was a fun popcorn thriller. I enjoyed it. Short chapters and not a lot of character development. It was surprising and multiple “mysteries” being solved at a time. It starts with Susan sending a bitchy text to her entire subdivisions group chat instead of just her sisters. Yikes. This happens right at the beginning. It’s the kind of thing that you can easily see yourself doing.
Ooh, cringe.
But! It sets of a series of events that led to multiple dead bodies!
Fans of Caitlin Weaver and Shari LaPena, this one is for you!
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin/ Pamela Dorman books for the ARC. Book to be published January 16, 2026.
March 17, 2025
This book was definitely a page turner and had me intrigued since the very beginning. This book felt more like a mystery to me, with a dash of thriller involved. It was about social media, which consumes a big part of people’s lives these days. I am guilty of sending the wrong message to someone else, so I felt for the main character. I think this book was well written, easy to read and flowed well. However, I did feel that the characters were lacking depth and it did lack focus at times. It did feel realistic to me, due to the modern world of social media. Overall, I found this to be a reasonable read and recommend it to anyone that is looking for an easy to read mystery with some thriller in it!
It Should Have Been You is about a woman named Susan, who accidentally sends a very secretive message to a local community group. The message was supposed to be sent to her Sister. This message contained secrets within the community and put a lot of people on blast! When she went to go delete it, it was already too late. People had screenshotted it and even reposted it in other groups! She starts receiving death threats. The very next day, a woman was murdered! As this story unravels, almost everyone that she mentioned in that secretive message becomes a target for being a murderer. Susan wasn’t the one murdered, but was she the one who was supposed to be? Does this story have a happy ending or do more murders take place? I rate this book a 3 out of 5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Andrea Mara, Transworld digital publishing, and Viking Penguin Books for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review of this book!
It Should Have Been You is about a woman named Susan, who accidentally sends a very secretive message to a local community group. The message was supposed to be sent to her Sister. This message contained secrets within the community and put a lot of people on blast! When she went to go delete it, it was already too late. People had screenshotted it and even reposted it in other groups! She starts receiving death threats. The very next day, a woman was murdered! As this story unravels, almost everyone that she mentioned in that secretive message becomes a target for being a murderer. Susan wasn’t the one murdered, but was she the one who was supposed to be? Does this story have a happy ending or do more murders take place? I rate this book a 3 out of 5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Andrea Mara, Transworld digital publishing, and Viking Penguin Books for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review of this book!
January 15, 2026
We’ve all done it, right? Sent a text to the wrong person, usually harmless, maybe a little embarrassing. But sending a nasty, judgy message to a group chat? The kind you can’t undo, can’t explain away, and definitely can’t come back from. That’s exactly what Susan does, thinking she’s only texting her sisters. One message. Maximum damage. And from there, everything spirals.
What Lit My Mood
Fast-paced and gripping, this had me racing through the pages, fully chasing that one-more-chapter high. The twists and turns kept coming, escalating the tension and had me guessing and wanting to know what happens next.
Hexed Me
The drama is pushed right to the edge and almost tips into over-the-top territory. There were a couple of moments where I felt my eyes threatening to roll, but Andrea Mara pulled it back just in time. I did have to suspend disbelief here and there, but, I had a lot of fun with it.
Mood Meter
Right Book, Right Energy
Final Verdict:
This is the kind of thriller that feeds on social fallout, turning one painfully relatable mistake into a tense, messy, dramatic, and entertaining thrill.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley
What Lit My Mood
Fast-paced and gripping, this had me racing through the pages, fully chasing that one-more-chapter high. The twists and turns kept coming, escalating the tension and had me guessing and wanting to know what happens next.
Hexed Me
The drama is pushed right to the edge and almost tips into over-the-top territory. There were a couple of moments where I felt my eyes threatening to roll, but Andrea Mara pulled it back just in time. I did have to suspend disbelief here and there, but, I had a lot of fun with it.
Mood Meter
Right Book, Right Energy
Final Verdict:
This is the kind of thriller that feeds on social fallout, turning one painfully relatable mistake into a tense, messy, dramatic, and entertaining thrill.
I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley
January 5, 2026
What in the Wisteria Lane is happening here??!!
This was a well written domestic thriller that proves just how dangerous one small mistake can be. When Susan accidentally sends a text meant for one person to the entire local community about one of the parents and her family, the fallout spirals far beyond embarrassment and into something far darker.
The story unfolds through about seven different POVs, which kept the tension high and the suspicions shifting constantly. But when Savannah ends up dead, Susan is wondering was she the intended target 👀. That possibility alone kept me flipping pages. And then there’s Venetia, whew! She was something else and made me cringe every single time she appeared on the page.
This is absolutely the kind of book that makes you want to double check every single message before hitting send. Andrea Mara does an excellent job showing how everyday choices & tiny, careless moments can have deadly consequences. Overall, a gripping read that domestic thriller lovers will enjoy. Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Publication 🗓️ : 01.13.26
This was a well written domestic thriller that proves just how dangerous one small mistake can be. When Susan accidentally sends a text meant for one person to the entire local community about one of the parents and her family, the fallout spirals far beyond embarrassment and into something far darker.
The story unfolds through about seven different POVs, which kept the tension high and the suspicions shifting constantly. But when Savannah ends up dead, Susan is wondering was she the intended target 👀. That possibility alone kept me flipping pages. And then there’s Venetia, whew! She was something else and made me cringe every single time she appeared on the page.
This is absolutely the kind of book that makes you want to double check every single message before hitting send. Andrea Mara does an excellent job showing how everyday choices & tiny, careless moments can have deadly consequences. Overall, a gripping read that domestic thriller lovers will enjoy. Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Publication 🗓️ : 01.13.26
June 27, 2025
* Thanks so much to Pamela Dorman Books for the NetGalley review copy. It Should Have Been You publishes in the US in January 2026 (and is out in the UK in May 2025).
Anything and everything that can go wrong (and then some) goes horribly wrong after a woman accidentally sends her snarky commentary on a screenshot of a neighborhood What’sApp group message to the wrong person. This is my absolute NIGHTMARE, and Mara did an amazing job capturing that panic (and then ramping it up like nine hundred notches to turn one dumb mistake into the worst-worst case scenario possible). Truly a cautionary tale for people (oh, hello!) who love nothing more than sharing screenshots and talking shit. The address being 26 Oakpark gave me a little extra jolt every time I saw it because I live in Oak Park, which made it extra fun.
This was completely wild, and I loved it even more than Someone in the Attic. Mara fans are in for a real treat!
Anything and everything that can go wrong (and then some) goes horribly wrong after a woman accidentally sends her snarky commentary on a screenshot of a neighborhood What’sApp group message to the wrong person. This is my absolute NIGHTMARE, and Mara did an amazing job capturing that panic (and then ramping it up like nine hundred notches to turn one dumb mistake into the worst-worst case scenario possible). Truly a cautionary tale for people (oh, hello!) who love nothing more than sharing screenshots and talking shit. The address being 26 Oakpark gave me a little extra jolt every time I saw it because I live in Oak Park, which made it extra fun.
This was completely wild, and I loved it even more than Someone in the Attic. Mara fans are in for a real treat!
July 17, 2025
“Have you ever done something stupid - something unintentional, acting without thinking? You have, I'm sure; we all have."
Okay this book is basically all of my anxious intrusive thoughts come true. How many times have you sent a message or an email and suddenly panicked that you've sent it to a group chat or accidentally cc'd in everyone you know? Because omg same.
Susan O'Donnel is a new Mum and veryyy sleep deprived. She in a community WhatsApp group and reads a bitchy message from a neighbour clearly aimed at her. Susan is fuming and sends a scathing message to her sisters letting rip, only to have her heart drop out of her ass when she discovers that she sent the message to the community WhatsApp group by mistake. BIG YIKES. And so okay huge social faux pas yes, but is it that deep? Well apparently it is because she starts receiving death threats and then the next day, a woman has been murdered. Things get scary from here when it transpires that the murdered women has the same address as Susan – 26 Oakpark – but in a different part of town. Did the killer get the wrong house?
This book is full of the most unlikeable characters I have ever experienced like truly bloody horrible human. Throughout this book people were getting fucked over left right and centre and my anxiety was sky high. I truly could not have guessed where we were going to end up by the end of this book and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
"I stop. Close my eyes. Take a deep breath. Then I carefully delete the message and delete the screenshot. I put down my phone, kiss Bella's head and pick up my book."
Okay this book is basically all of my anxious intrusive thoughts come true. How many times have you sent a message or an email and suddenly panicked that you've sent it to a group chat or accidentally cc'd in everyone you know? Because omg same.
Susan O'Donnel is a new Mum and veryyy sleep deprived. She in a community WhatsApp group and reads a bitchy message from a neighbour clearly aimed at her. Susan is fuming and sends a scathing message to her sisters letting rip, only to have her heart drop out of her ass when she discovers that she sent the message to the community WhatsApp group by mistake. BIG YIKES. And so okay huge social faux pas yes, but is it that deep? Well apparently it is because she starts receiving death threats and then the next day, a woman has been murdered. Things get scary from here when it transpires that the murdered women has the same address as Susan – 26 Oakpark – but in a different part of town. Did the killer get the wrong house?
This book is full of the most unlikeable characters I have ever experienced like truly bloody horrible human. Throughout this book people were getting fucked over left right and centre and my anxiety was sky high. I truly could not have guessed where we were going to end up by the end of this book and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
"I stop. Close my eyes. Take a deep breath. Then I carefully delete the message and delete the screenshot. I put down my phone, kiss Bella's head and pick up my book."
January 9, 2026
This is more of a a 3.75, rounded up. It was entertaining, inasmuch as fictional people’s pain and misery is such. There’s lots of heavy stuff in here, and so many twists and turns that you will feel like you have whiplash. Don’t even try to guess what’s actually going on—I was only right about *one* thing, among dozens. I have to give credit to the author; she completely pulled the wool over my eyes until the very last word. Still, some of the happenings were a tad implausible, and the wrap up was too quick and neat, and that’s why it’s under 4 stars for me.
I absolutely LOVE the premise of accidentally sending a secret-filled text to the entire neighborhood instead of to your family members.
We all judge people, every single one of us. However, we only share those unneighborly thoughts with a couple of people we know extremely well.
What are you thinking *right now* that you wouldn’t want others to know?
Now imagine everyone in your community knows.
Let the fallout begin.
My thanks to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I absolutely LOVE the premise of accidentally sending a secret-filled text to the entire neighborhood instead of to your family members.
We all judge people, every single one of us. However, we only share those unneighborly thoughts with a couple of people we know extremely well.
What are you thinking *right now* that you wouldn’t want others to know?
Now imagine everyone in your community knows.
Let the fallout begin.
My thanks to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
June 10, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It Should Have Been You
In It Should Have Been You, Susan is a relatable and down to earth secondary school maths teacher and a new mum to Bella, navigating maternity leave and the challenges of suburban life . One fateful moment sending a snarky, private message meant for her sisters into the entire neighbourhood WhatsApp group sets off a terrifying chain reaction.
Suddenly Susan’s life spirals as secrets surface, neighbours react, and she begins receiving ominous death threats. When a woman living at the same address number as Susan is found murdered the very next day, panic and paranoia grip the community. As chaos ensues, each character she mentioned becomes a suspect forcing Susan to question who she can trust. The storyline skillfully explores the dangers of digital communication how one wrong tap can upend lives.
A narrative that threads through various character perspectives, keeping tension high and fingers turning pages.
Andrea Mara nails the modern day thriller with a character we can root for even as her world unravels in terrifying ways. It Should Have Been You is a gripping suburban soap that feels eerily possible, populated by believable characters and driven by a digital-age mistake we can all envision ourselves making. Susan anchors the story, her blunder setting off a chain of consequences no one could have predicted. A powerful four star thriller unsettling, addictive, and highly worth a read.
In It Should Have Been You, Susan is a relatable and down to earth secondary school maths teacher and a new mum to Bella, navigating maternity leave and the challenges of suburban life . One fateful moment sending a snarky, private message meant for her sisters into the entire neighbourhood WhatsApp group sets off a terrifying chain reaction.
Suddenly Susan’s life spirals as secrets surface, neighbours react, and she begins receiving ominous death threats. When a woman living at the same address number as Susan is found murdered the very next day, panic and paranoia grip the community. As chaos ensues, each character she mentioned becomes a suspect forcing Susan to question who she can trust. The storyline skillfully explores the dangers of digital communication how one wrong tap can upend lives.
A narrative that threads through various character perspectives, keeping tension high and fingers turning pages.
Andrea Mara nails the modern day thriller with a character we can root for even as her world unravels in terrifying ways. It Should Have Been You is a gripping suburban soap that feels eerily possible, populated by believable characters and driven by a digital-age mistake we can all envision ourselves making. Susan anchors the story, her blunder setting off a chain of consequences no one could have predicted. A powerful four star thriller unsettling, addictive, and highly worth a read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2025
If Lisa Jewell and Shari Lapena wrote an off-the/rails book together, you’d get Andrea Mara’s IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU. This book is wickedly chaotic and I finished it in sittings! Thank you @pameladormanbooks @vikingbooks for this very fast paced and wild gifted book!
A mistakenly sent WhatsApp message exposing your neighbors’ darkest secrets turns a picture-perfect suburb into a nightmare as rumors spread and the first death threat arrives. When a woman with your same address—just in another town—is murdered, you realize the killer may have come looking for you, and you won’t have long to find out.
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU is a wild ride and I feel like I may have gotten whiplash from it! There’s a ton of moving parts and POVs with its neighborhood drama thriller vibe (Susan is by far my favorite), so even the reader with the shortest attention span will be mapping out what’s going on; fully investing in this book’s drama. This is the second US release for this author—her US debut being Someone in the Attic—and a much stronger one at that. This book was bingey, juicy, and all the right kinds of petty chaos I needed. More please! STARS: 4, PUB: 1/13/26
A mistakenly sent WhatsApp message exposing your neighbors’ darkest secrets turns a picture-perfect suburb into a nightmare as rumors spread and the first death threat arrives. When a woman with your same address—just in another town—is murdered, you realize the killer may have come looking for you, and you won’t have long to find out.
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU is a wild ride and I feel like I may have gotten whiplash from it! There’s a ton of moving parts and POVs with its neighborhood drama thriller vibe (Susan is by far my favorite), so even the reader with the shortest attention span will be mapping out what’s going on; fully investing in this book’s drama. This is the second US release for this author—her US debut being Someone in the Attic—and a much stronger one at that. This book was bingey, juicy, and all the right kinds of petty chaos I needed. More please! STARS: 4, PUB: 1/13/26
May 8, 2025
Ever sent a text/message to someone by mistake, I have and once to the neighbour email group telling them we couldn’t wait to move as disliked them all ( was meant for a friend ) caused quite the rumpus…
Back to the book and Susan sends a text by mistake to a WatsApp group that is flowered with gossip and scandal…about the very people in the group now reading it
The effects are immediate and far reaching but actually horrifically end up with people dead and lives forever changed
Now there are a lot of characters and I did get some of them mixed up along the way and also for some reason always pictured the book set in America and then was surprised every time realised again it was Dublin…but that aside it is a good, sturdy, imaginative story which pretty much every reader can put themselves in the various situations and be glad its not them…
Back to the book and Susan sends a text by mistake to a WatsApp group that is flowered with gossip and scandal…about the very people in the group now reading it
The effects are immediate and far reaching but actually horrifically end up with people dead and lives forever changed
Now there are a lot of characters and I did get some of them mixed up along the way and also for some reason always pictured the book set in America and then was surprised every time realised again it was Dublin…but that aside it is a good, sturdy, imaginative story which pretty much every reader can put themselves in the various situations and be glad its not them…
May 26, 2025
It's official, I don't see myself reading more from Ms Mara.
This was terrible. Have you ever finished a book out of spite? I just did. You know how sometimes you might overthink a situation and spin it out into incredibly ridiculous scenarios? That was this entire book and nearly every character was unlikeable and completely illogical to boot. Literally the only reason I finished this, after skipping about a third of it, was because I wanted to see how Mara was going to tie this all up.
I want my three hours back.
This was terrible. Have you ever finished a book out of spite? I just did. You know how sometimes you might overthink a situation and spin it out into incredibly ridiculous scenarios? That was this entire book and nearly every character was unlikeable and completely illogical to boot. Literally the only reason I finished this, after skipping about a third of it, was because I wanted to see how Mara was going to tie this all up.
I want my three hours back.
November 6, 2025
I think we’ve all sent a text to the wrong person at some time.
I know that I certainly have.
Luckily for me, when I’ve done it, the text has been some mundane thing that I wouldn’t mind someone other than the intended recipient seeing.
Susan O’Donnell wasn’t as lucky.
One afternoon, in frustration, she sends a text to her two sisters airing out one of her neighbor’s dirty laundry.
The only problem is that she didn’t text her sisters.
Instead, the message went to her neighborhood’s WhatsApp group chat and was seen by about 300 people.
This book starts out fairly fast, and that’s exactly what I want in a domestic thriller.
At 385 pages it’s a little longer than the typical 300 page novel, but it was still a fast read for me as it grabbed my attention right from the beginning and held onto it.
The best way to describe this book would be “Desperate Housewives: Dublin Edition”, but a little more like Desperate Housewives on steroids.
Like Wisteria Lane, Oakpark has affairs, deaths, nosy neighbors and teenager drama.
A lot of people think that life in suburbia is quiet and somewhat uneventful.
Not so in this book!
It’s written in multiple POV, which I always like in a thriller so I can kind of keep track of what’s going on with everyone individually.
And like a good thriller, it kept me engaged and I just wanted to keep reading.
This book also made me grateful that when I was in high school smartphones and social media weren’t a thing yet.
Today’s teens can be brutal with just a phone and a few apps!
I know that I certainly have.
Luckily for me, when I’ve done it, the text has been some mundane thing that I wouldn’t mind someone other than the intended recipient seeing.
Susan O’Donnell wasn’t as lucky.
One afternoon, in frustration, she sends a text to her two sisters airing out one of her neighbor’s dirty laundry.
The only problem is that she didn’t text her sisters.
Instead, the message went to her neighborhood’s WhatsApp group chat and was seen by about 300 people.
This book starts out fairly fast, and that’s exactly what I want in a domestic thriller.
At 385 pages it’s a little longer than the typical 300 page novel, but it was still a fast read for me as it grabbed my attention right from the beginning and held onto it.
The best way to describe this book would be “Desperate Housewives: Dublin Edition”, but a little more like Desperate Housewives on steroids.
Like Wisteria Lane, Oakpark has affairs, deaths, nosy neighbors and teenager drama.
A lot of people think that life in suburbia is quiet and somewhat uneventful.
Not so in this book!
It’s written in multiple POV, which I always like in a thriller so I can kind of keep track of what’s going on with everyone individually.
And like a good thriller, it kept me engaged and I just wanted to keep reading.
This book also made me grateful that when I was in high school smartphones and social media weren’t a thing yet.
Today’s teens can be brutal with just a phone and a few apps!
January 16, 2026
I’m sure many of us have sent a message to the wrong person before and that’s exactly what sleep-deprived Susan did. But not only did she send hers to the wrong person, it was full of secrets and gossip about the people in and around her neighbourhood, and she had sent it to the local community WhatsApp group instead of just sending it to her sister.
Not only has Susan upset a lot of people who want nothing to do with her, but she has now put her and her family's lives in danger.
This is only the second book I’ve read by this author, and I really enjoyed it. I have read a book a little similar to this as in a message was sent to the wrong person, but what happened next was done really well in this book which made it different from the other book. It most definitely kept me intrigued until the end, and I didn’t see that ending coming. Recommended.
Not only has Susan upset a lot of people who want nothing to do with her, but she has now put her and her family's lives in danger.
This is only the second book I’ve read by this author, and I really enjoyed it. I have read a book a little similar to this as in a message was sent to the wrong person, but what happened next was done really well in this book which made it different from the other book. It most definitely kept me intrigued until the end, and I didn’t see that ending coming. Recommended.
January 11, 2026
Rounded up to 3.75 stars.
I liked this domestic suspense read and read it in a day.
Told in multi POVs, I was easily able to follow the story and the shifting viewpoints allowed for the clever unfolding of the story. The short chapters, several with cliffhangers, made it easy to keep on turning the pages but I did find the middle part slowed and not much seemed to happen for a bit. However, the latter part picked back up and I raced through it. I also liked the focus on the ripple effects of social media.
I think the book could have been shorter and tightened a bit to help with more consistent pacing in the middle. There were also a couple of loose ends not wrapped up neatly.
Overall though, I was glad I read this one!
I liked this domestic suspense read and read it in a day.
Told in multi POVs, I was easily able to follow the story and the shifting viewpoints allowed for the clever unfolding of the story. The short chapters, several with cliffhangers, made it easy to keep on turning the pages but I did find the middle part slowed and not much seemed to happen for a bit. However, the latter part picked back up and I raced through it. I also liked the focus on the ripple effects of social media.
I think the book could have been shorter and tightened a bit to help with more consistent pacing in the middle. There were also a couple of loose ends not wrapped up neatly.
Overall though, I was glad I read this one!
August 22, 2025
Wow! It’s been quite a while since I enjoyed a book as much as this one, I can’t wait to binge this authors backlist, but for now back to this one. Your thrown into the drama straight away, from the very first chapter we get the main event, an event that anyone of us could be guilty off, not a murder, or any affair, but venting on a text and sending it to the wrong place, this then has massive consequences for many, many people.
There were many points of view that were really easy to keep track of! The twists and turns in this book just kept coming and with short punchy chapters it proves impossible not to binge in one sitting!
I can’t not wait to dig into this authors backlist, if her other books are as good as this one, I’m in for a treat!
There were many points of view that were really easy to keep track of! The twists and turns in this book just kept coming and with short punchy chapters it proves impossible not to binge in one sitting!
I can’t not wait to dig into this authors backlist, if her other books are as good as this one, I’m in for a treat!
May 31, 2025
3.75 / 5.0
This book is very reliant on having so many things happening at once it genuinely felt so overkill. I found whilst the book is grilling and tense, the constant jumps of different POVs really did kill the ending slightly. The timeframes were also another annoying feature, at the start I could manage but as the trickle of information is realised it just felt like too much. Even though the plot is clear, it’s hard to remember the impact of the ‘timing’ of the event, not the event itself. The book is dependant on so many coincidences that ‘predictability’ is out the window, things connected conveniently and overall the plot felt like it was doing too much. Overall, I think the plot could be simplified more to get to the ending.
The plot is based on several POVs, the main POV we see is Susan O’Donnell who accidentally sends a snarky comment to her group chat of sister. Unfortunately she messes up and sends the message in the main group chat of the neighbourhood. At first, the group chat was quiet but this picks up and her address and personal details are shared online. The next day after, a women is found murdered, with the same address as Susan, and another women and man is found murdered. Susan then receives a text ‘it should have been you’
Its not a bad book, but you really need to be on your toes with the plot and timing with this one!
This book is very reliant on having so many things happening at once it genuinely felt so overkill. I found whilst the book is grilling and tense, the constant jumps of different POVs really did kill the ending slightly. The timeframes were also another annoying feature, at the start I could manage but as the trickle of information is realised it just felt like too much. Even though the plot is clear, it’s hard to remember the impact of the ‘timing’ of the event, not the event itself. The book is dependant on so many coincidences that ‘predictability’ is out the window, things connected conveniently and overall the plot felt like it was doing too much. Overall, I think the plot could be simplified more to get to the ending.
The plot is based on several POVs, the main POV we see is Susan O’Donnell who accidentally sends a snarky comment to her group chat of sister. Unfortunately she messes up and sends the message in the main group chat of the neighbourhood. At first, the group chat was quiet but this picks up and her address and personal details are shared online. The next day after, a women is found murdered, with the same address as Susan, and another women and man is found murdered. Susan then receives a text ‘it should have been you’
Its not a bad book, but you really need to be on your toes with the plot and timing with this one!
February 16, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley and Transworld Publishers for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Susan is home from her teaching job on maternity leave and when she feels that she has been chastised in the neighborhood what's app group, by Celeste, she intends to complain to her sisters privately about Celeste and her difficult children and her philandering husband, but instead sends her rant to the group text. The next thing she knows, the woman she saw Celeste's husband with and her husband have been found murdered and a woman who has the same address in another part of town has also been murdered. Was someone trying to murder Susan and got the wrong woman?
4.5 stars.
There was a lot going on in this book and it made for a really good read. The only thing I didn't love was the story with the teenagers. I didn't think it added a lot to the overall story. I kept turning the pages to find out how these two murders could have happened in response to a catty but overall not that shocking group message. There was a whole lot to the story and it all wrapped up pretty tidily. I have mostly really enjoyed this author's work and look forward to reading more.
Susan is home from her teaching job on maternity leave and when she feels that she has been chastised in the neighborhood what's app group, by Celeste, she intends to complain to her sisters privately about Celeste and her difficult children and her philandering husband, but instead sends her rant to the group text. The next thing she knows, the woman she saw Celeste's husband with and her husband have been found murdered and a woman who has the same address in another part of town has also been murdered. Was someone trying to murder Susan and got the wrong woman?
4.5 stars.
There was a lot going on in this book and it made for a really good read. The only thing I didn't love was the story with the teenagers. I didn't think it added a lot to the overall story. I kept turning the pages to find out how these two murders could have happened in response to a catty but overall not that shocking group message. There was a whole lot to the story and it all wrapped up pretty tidily. I have mostly really enjoyed this author's work and look forward to reading more.
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